What questions do you need to ask before outsourcing your IT Support services?
If you want to keep your operations going in the organization, ensure effective communication and collaboration between the employees and allow faster delivery of services, then you need to have a strong and fully protected IT infrastructure. Otherwise, this can turn into your worst nightmare from being your greatest asset.
As you read in our previous blog, outsourcing IT support services can reduce cost, save time, increase efficiency and give you complete peace of mind. Digital transformation can be quite smooth when you have the right IT support services.
In developed countries such as the United Kingdom, more than 69% of companies outsource their IT support services. Picking up a suitable partner for your business can be a bit tricky if you don’t ask the right questions. But what are these questions?
In this blog, I will tell you what questions you need to ask before finalizing your IT support services provider.
1. What makes you different from the others?
It’s very difficult to find a company that actually does what it says. It means that it’s not enough to talk about your excellent customer support, they actually need to walk the talk. This can be easily ascertained by looking for their customer satisfaction stories. A good company will conduct regular surveys to ask for customer feedback and work on any issues which are reported.
Another parameter for a company with good IT support services is certifications and accreditations. ISO 27001, the globally recognized security standard, and ISO 9001, the standard for Quality Management Systems are two important certifications to ensure that you are making the right choice.
You need to select a partner which has certain experience in your field and is aware of your unique challenges and demands. One other factor to look out for is a high employee retention rate as it is a sign of good management, effective leadership, and happy employees. Satisfied employees will heed more to the IT support demands of clients.
2. What levels of IT support services do you offer?
You need to have different levels of support depending on the complexity of your issues. Some minor issues like resetting your password, slow internet connection, system reboot, etc. can be resolved via helpdesk support and with remote access to your systems.
But some complex issues need online support assistance from technicians and they should have access to all required tools and technology. After all, if you are going to pay up for these services, then you should have access to trained employees, the latest technological applications, and tools for increasing the efficiency of your business.
Ask questions like how soon I can get a response from customer care service. What is the rate of cases fixed with only remote access? What is your escalation process internally for IT support services? Only when you get a satisfactory answer to such questions, you should start outsourcing your jobs to them.
3. Who is going to be our point of contact during any situation?
A good IT support services provider will make someone the point of contact for the faster resolution of any issues which arise. It might not seem a very big deal right now but when you are stuck in any contingency like loss of client data, then one dedicated person who is aware of your background will seem like a blessing.
There should be specified personnel who are experts in handling both technical and non-technical issues. These people will not only solve your issues but create an entire IT strategy keeping in mind your infrastructure and scale of operations carried out.
4. Ask them questions like “What about SLAs?”
SLAs are agreements signed between you and the company to whom you outsource your IT support services. They define the terms and conditions for the rendering services, what parameters will be used while measuring the performance, and any penalties or remedies if there is a breach of contract from any side.
SLA is important to protect both the user and the vendor. Because if there are no written rules and regulations between you and the IT support services provider, then our chances of misinterpretation from any side can lead to a full-blown conflict. If there is no accountability, then it will not be good for the customer experience.
A written agreement will have the goals to be achieved, the deadline for meeting these goals, the cost of all services offered, what parameters will be used to assess the quality of service, delivery of payment, and any penalties if some mishap occurs. Since these can vary over time, so there should be room for flexibility in the SLA.
5. What client references you can provide us with?
Every IT support services provider will show you reviews, case studies, and testimonials from their clients. But actually, most people want a mix of these along with client references. Client references are very important and a good IT support services provider will not shy away from giving you the references of their clients.
You can contact any of these clients directly and ask about them about their experience. A true and honest review from the client will make your job a thousand times easier. So, don’t shy away from asking about it.
6. What about the security of your data?
The biggest issue we all face in outsourcing our IT support services is that we don’t want to risk losing our data. Cybersecurity is a core issue for all of us. The company that you are choosing must have a proper privacy policy in place so that there are minimal chances of data theft.
Many IT companies provide security components along with their standard package. These cybersecurity components are very important. Constant monitoring, scanning, evaluation, early detection, and nullification of any threat are to be done by the company that you are hiring. Today, there are increased chances of malware and ransomware attacks, and a security system in place is needed if you don’t want to be the next victim.
7. Will you be able to give feedback?
It is an unwritten rule in any trade-off which takes place that the person paying the money should feel satisfied. You must feel that the money that you paid was worth it. But what if it is not? Then where will you give your feedback and how? That is why many tech companies conduct monthly surveys, ask you to fill out forms, or have their customer executives call you for any feedback that you have.
But only gathering feedback is not important. You should also make sure that these feedbacks are actually looked into and resolved in a given time frame. Ask all these relevant questions before you finalize your partner for IT support services from the market.
8. Apart from IT support services, will they help with IT strategy?
The IT environment is always changing. Businesses at danger of operational inefficiencies and competitive disadvantage if they don’t digitally change and modernize legacy systems. To support your current IT infrastructure and direct your future IT investments, turn to your outsourced IT support services provider. Businesses need to better match technology spending with overarching business goals in order to increase ROI as IT plays a more significant role in their operations.
An IT support services provider ought to provide more than just crisis assistance. They have to be qualified to assist you in developing an IT strategy that directs your IT investments and enables quick innovation. They ought to be qualified to assist you with various tasks including network setups, cloud migrations, cyber security initiatives, and analytical work.
9. How I can be assured that your IT support services will be available 24*7?
Traditional workplace hours have blurred as employees embrace flexible working; many people now choose to work past sunset or even on weekends. Furthermore, with globalization and on-demand services, IT systems are expected to function flawlessly throughout the year.
When an IT system is supported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including on national holidays, the danger of downtime is reduced, business continuity is ensured, and IT issues are quickly resolved.
Many IT support services provider claims to offer after-hours support, but in order to truly offer 24/7 IT support, the service provider must make sure it has enough staff and resources to cover three separate shifts of eight hours each as well as enough time zone coverage. There should also be enough overflow staff to handle peak periods of demand.
Nure IT Solutions is happy to assist you as an IT support services provider 24*7 with honest commitment, the latest technology and tools, and a fully trained and experienced staff. Reach out to us for a seamless user experience.